UK extends 5p fuel duty cut to year-end to ease prices

The UK will extend the 5p cut in fuel duty until the end of the year, at a cost of about £455m this tax year, as Prime Minister Keir Starmer cites Middle East-related price pressures. The government will also cut red diesel to 6.48p per litre from mid-next month through year-end for farmers and provide a 12-month Vehicle Excise Duty holiday for HGVs, saving around £600 per truck. The RAC warns there’s uncertainty about next year’s plan, while critics frame the move as a political U-turn and supporters say it relieves drivers and businesses amid high prices.